|
William Allan PICKNETT was born on 14 July 1863 and baptised in St Peter's Church, Redcar. He was the eldest son of William
Allan PICKNETT (1838-1903) and Emma MAY (1839-1934). He was a pupil
at Zetland School in Redcar, where he completed four and half years as a pupil teacher in June 1882 just before his 21st birthday.
He left Redcar to train as a teacher at St. John's College, Battersea from 1883-1884. In November 1883 he gained a certificate
of competence to teach Drawing and he was also awarded an Archbishop's Certificate for Religious Instruction and Divinity.
|
| William Allan Picknett and family circa 1922/3 |
William Allan returned to Redcar
in April 1885 to marry Mary STEBBINGS (daughter of John STEBBINGS and Mary ILLINGWORTH) and in the same year
was appointed Headteacher of St. Leonard's (National) Boys School in Streatham, South London. The couple lived on the school
premises, where their two eldest children were born in 1891 and 1893. William Allan remained at St. Leonards's until July
1894, when his engagement was terminated due to the school's financial difficulties. In October 1894 he started a three year
training course as a Science teacher at the Royal College of Science, South Kensington (now Imperial College) and in November
1898 he gained an external B.Sc. in Science and Maths. He worked as a Physics master at Owen's School, Islington and in September
1899 received a letter from the Department of Science and Art (South Kensington) stating that he was qualified to teach:
- Plane and solid geometry
- Mathematics
- Theoretical mechanics
- Sound, Light and Heat
- Magnetism & Electricity
- Theoretical and Practical Inorganic Chemistry
- Geology and Mineralogy
- Human Physiology
- General Biology, Zoology & Botany
- Nautical Astronomy
- Physiography and Hygiene
He taught Physics at Hackney Pupil Teacher's centre from 1900 - 1906, when he was appointed as a demonstrator
and lecturer in Physics at Paddington Technical Institute, where he worked until his retirement in 1924.
|
| William Allan Picknett's children circa 1900 |
William Allan and Mary had five
children:
Dorothy May (b. 1891) m. Pierre MARIE
Leslie William (April 1893 - September 1973) m. Vera Violet COLE (1894 - 1982)
Bernard Frederick (July 1896 - June 1960) m. Ethel May PROWSE
(1894 - 1983)
Sidney Norman (March 1898 - 1974) m.
Margaret (Madge) GOVAN (1896 - 1996)
Edith Gertrude (December 1899 - November 1989) m1. James O'NEILL FISHER (1895 - 1947)
m2. Denis William GEE (d. 1961)
|
| William Allan Picknett with great granddaughter Michele circa 1950 |
William Allan
retired to Worthing in Sussex, but presumably had not completely forgotten his boyhood in Redcar, because he called his house
in Gaisford Road 'Zetland'. In 1950 he wrote a letter to his son, Sidney, recalling some of his memories.
Mary STEBBINGS
died in 1940 and William Allan surprised his family when, at the age of 80, he married his neighbour Sarah WILKS in 1943 in
Worthing. He died in 1954.
|
